Abstract
This paper describes the conceptual and practical problems encountered and solved in producing a multi-colour atlas of population characteristics in Great Britain. The atlas itself is in A4 format; it consists of some thirty-four maps of Great Britain in four colours and the same number of regional maps, together with descriptive text. All maps were plotted on a laser plotter with a resolution of 127 microns.The paper describes how mapping of ratios, such as percentages, was found to be highly misleading and describes the novel probability mapping solution adopted, based on the signed chi-square statistic. In addition, the rationale for selecting the class intervals and for selecting colour schemes is described.
Highlights
The decennial Census of Population is possibly the most widely used single data set in Britain; it plays a fundamental role in the analysis and monitoring of changes in the distribution of population, of the characteristics of households and of such socio-economic variables as journey-to-work patterns and migration
The search for a more satisfactory mapping method-culminating in the use of the signed chi-square measure-plus very considerable amounts of statistical analysis of the data and experiments on class intervals, followed by plotting and colour proofing, ensured that the last of the reproduction material was not produced until early 1978. Manual cartography, such as making masks and producing the black plate reproduction material, together with writing of the text accompanying each map and the more general chapters, took a further few months; the reproduction material and almost the entirety of the text were handed to OPCS in mid-May 1978
The making of a census atlas by computer may be an extremely rapid matter: some line printer atlases of such data have been produced in a matter of two or three months but many of these are simple in concept and execution and crude in appearance; several have been heavily criticised by reviewers
Summary
The decennial Census of Population is possibly the most widely used single data set in Britain; it plays a fundamental role in the analysis and monitoring of changes in the distribution of population, of the characteristics of households and of such socio-economic variables as journey-to-work patterns and migration. Because of the extremely small size of each data area on the national maps, the limited grey tone capability of the particular map-making technology adopted (see(viii)below) and the lithographic means of final reproduction, the desirable objective of obviating class intervals (Tobler, 1973) was not feasible in these atlas maps On this basis, various class interval schemes were considered, as reviewed by Evans (1977). The obvious possibility of mapping the n most extreme grid squares
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